Bainbridge to host Little League Majors tourney

Bainbridge Island Little League will host the Majors Baseball District 2 Tournament this year — for the first time in more than a decade — at Rotary Park starting Saturday, July 1 though Saturday, July 8.

This is the first time a district tournament has been held on island soil in more than 15 years, said Bainbridge Island Little League tournament coordinator Tim Duffy.

“Nine teams from across the peninsula will be competing for the district championship, earning a spot in the state tourney,” he explained. “The winner of state earns a potential path the the World Series in Williamsport [Pennsylvania].”

Teams must compete at the district, state and then regional levels before reaching the big show. The last team to come out of District 2 and make it to Williamsport was, in fact, the 2001 Bainbridge All-Stars.

The first pitch of the tournament will be thrown at 1 p.m. Saturday. Bainbridge All-Stars then take the field 3:30 p.m. to play against South Kitsap Western.

“This is an opportunity to see some great baseball right here in our own backyard,” said Jason Gall, president of the Bainbridge Island Little League. “Some of the best players from the Peninsula will be squaring off and it should be exciting to watch.”

This year’s Bainbridge Island All-Star Team will be defending their 2016 District 2 title. After winning it, they went to place fourth at the state tournament last year.

The league is also eager to show off the recent improvements at Rotary Park, officials said. The first covered batting cage on the island was completed in April.

“This has already proven well worth the investment after the wet spring we had,” Duffy said. “It really gives kids a chance to practice and improve when the fields are not playable.”

Bainbridge Island Little League is a 53-year-old, 100 percent volunteer-run organization that gives boys and girls of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn baseball and softball.